


This World Was Made for Two

by FreshBrains



Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Cabins, Community: comment_fic, Difficult Decisions, Isolation, M/M, Past Abuse, Post-Captain America: The Winter Soldier
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-02-22
Updated: 2015-02-22
Packaged: 2018-03-14 12:50:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 654
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3411266
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FreshBrains/pseuds/FreshBrains
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It’s not so bad here—in fact, it reminds Steve of the world they used to inhabit together, when there were no TV sets or WiFi connections or music speakers rattling the entire building.  There’s a radio, a woodstove, and a mattress on the floor.  There’s instant coffee and a table with a bad leg.</p><p>And there’s Bucky.</p>
            </blockquote>





	This World Was Made for Two

**Author's Note:**

  * For [tigriswolf](https://archiveofourown.org/users/tigriswolf/gifts).



> For the LJ comment_fic prompt: _Avengers movieverse, Steve Rogers/Bucky Barnes, he has to choose between the world and Bucky. he made the wrong choice last time._

It’s not so bad here—in fact, it reminds Steve of the world they used to inhabit together, when there were no TV sets or WiFi connections or music speakers rattling the entire building.  There’s a radio, a woodstove, and a mattress on the floor.  There’s instant coffee and a table with a bad leg.

And there’s Bucky. 

When Steve looks at Bucky in the lantern light, at the way his eyes don’t struggle in the dark or at the firm set of his jaw, he wonders what else he could possibly be looking for in this new world.  He’s got Peggy, or at least part of her—she’s safe and had an amazing life, and that gives him peace.  He’s got his freedom, even though there’s always a threat.  He has Natasha and Sam and Tony.

He _had_ them, he supposes.  Back in the world.  The same new world, only miles away.  The world he gave up.

Bucky rolls over in their small bed and presses his palm to Steve’s bare stomach, his warm fingers scratching through the trail of hair leading down Steve’s boxers.  His short hair tickles against Steve’s shoulder; he recently asked Steve to cut it with his pocketknife.  “I need to go outside today.”

Steve glances down, trying to will his body not to react to Bucky’s touches, to listen to his words instead.  They’ve worn each other out the past few nights, relearning each other’s bodies and the sounds they make, the scent of their skin.  Steve is hesitant to let Bucky go.  “Any specific reason why?”

“To hunt,” Bucky says, nuzzling into Steve’s neck, pressing kisses along his jaw.  “No more canned food unless we have meat to add to it.”  He huffs out a laugh, warm against Steve’s neck.  “It’s like during the war, only we aren’t chasing squirrels in Central Park.”

Steve cracks a grin, then a thrill runs up his spine, pooling in his stomach.  “You remember that?” he asks softly.

Bucky is quiet for a moment, then sits up.  He runs his hand through his hair.  “I think so.  It happened, right?”

Steve shakes his head.  “We always joked about it.  Never got around to doing it, though.”

Bucky smiles, small and tight, but it’s enough.  “I know how to set traps.”  He gets up, pulls on his heavy boots and jacket.  Steve watches him from the bed.  “Keep it warm for me?”

Steve nods, leaning up for a kiss, and Bucky pauses for a moment before he complies.  He’s still relearning cues like that, ones that result in pleasure, not punishment.  Steve’s only too glad to assist. 

“I’ll be back,” Bucky says, opening the cabin door to the cold.  “I promise.”

Steve knows it isn’t a promise he can keep.  He’s gotten confused before, took off without remembering, came back and couldn’t remember where he was or if Steve was one of the good guys, but he always _knew_ Steve, in some way.  But Steve just smiles at him.  “I’ll see you soon.”

Steve rolls over onto his stomach, eyes refusing the shut even though his body is tired.  Before getting out of bed, he notices something in the corner of the room, halfway beneath the bed.  It’s a Bible, the cover worn, the pages ripped.  He opens it and a photograph falls out onto the sheets.

It’s Steve, sitting on a bench on the Mall, Sam next to him.  The sun is out and the trees are a lush green; must’ve been late summer.  It’s taken from a ways away, higher up, from a building. 

On the back, scrawled in Bucky’s neat script: _You know him._

Steve closes the Bible and sets it back on the floor like he found it, the picture tucked back in between the pages.  Somehow, even though his stomach still tightens at the thought of Bucky not remembering him, Steve knows he’s made the right choice.

**Author's Note:**

> Title from Lana Del Rey's "Video Games"


End file.
